Dispatcher Career Guide and Counseling

Question: What does the siren mean after a dispatcher dispatches a fire truck or something? I have a police scanner and sometimes after a dispatcher plays the department fire or medical tone, a wierd siren thing plays. What does that mean?

Answer: It may be you are hearing part of the tone used to trip the firefighter's pagers. Each department has a unique tone to set off specific pagers. Many departments may use the same freq. for dispatching so they need to have a way to alert only the agency they are calling. After a while, many firefighters, cops , emt's can actually tell you what agency is getting "toned out" just by listening to tone.

Question: Could I start out as an emergency dispatcher and then later on apply to become a police officer? My ultimate goal is to become a police officer, but I might want to take another job first before I apply. Does the amount of training involved to become a dispatcher make this a poor idea?

Answer: Yes, we had a guy just hit the street who was a dispatcher for a couple of years before going to the academy. Being a dispatcher will give you a headstart on most other police recruits.

Question: What is the written exam for a 911 dispatcher position about? I applied to be a 911 dispatcher in my hometown (Saint Clair Shores, MI) and after passing the typing test I will be emailed about a written test. Are these tests the same in all cities? What exactly does it cover? I want to do well and prepare appropriately.

Answer: Here in Charlotte, the test consists of 180 questions, includes: listening and communications skills, dealing with difficult and stressful situations, multi-tasking, analysis, prioritizing and problem solving, recording accuracy, public relations, internal relations, and responsibility for officer safety. All of these are multiple choice. Not certain how you would really "study" pro se. More so common sense & applying the correct solution to an emergency situation.

Question: How do I become a 911 or police dispatcher? I would like to become a dispatcher. Do I need any experience or degree or certificates?

Answer: Yes you would need to be EMD certified. You can usually obtain this at hire. Your best bet would be to at least get an EMT certificate. Even if you never plan to be an EMT this will help if not be required. 911 dispatchers also dispatch police, fire, and ems. And need to be trained medically to give directions to bystanders. Your chances of getting of a police station are slim to none with no prior dispatching experience. For now you could apply at some local private ambulance companies. By the way EMD stands for Emergency Medical Dispatcher The guy down there is wrong. Here is a qualifications section of a want ad. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS High school diploma or GED; supplemented by little or no previous experience or training involving dispatching; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job. Must type a minimum of 25 wpm. Must be able to obtain certification as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD), and become certified by the Florida and National Crime Information Center (FCIC/NCIC) within one year of employment. Must possess and maintain a valid Florida drivers license. Related work experience considered; EMD, CPR, and FCIC certification and CAD experience a plus. Must be able to speak clearly and communicate fluently in English. Bilingual (esp. Creole or Spanish) is a plus. Applicants must be available to work varied shifts, including nights, weekends and holidays in a 24-hour operation. Flexibility and reliability essential.

Question: What is the maximum age to be an aricraft dispatcher? Hey babies, I'am a Sudanese national, apprroaching to an age of 50 years old by end ofthis year 2006G, but fit in health, having a very good english language, reading, speaking & writing, High Secondary Schools Graduate, working in KSA since 1979G as a bilingual secretary (Arabic, English), computer keyboards kicker since 25 years ago. Eagerly I would like to have a course of Aircraft Dispatching somewhere around the world as a new profession, and muchly I love to work in aviation fields after having the certif. of FAA-licensed aricraft dispatcher. Pls. ADVISE me wheather I will be suitable for this profession and will be having a chance to work with one of the airlines? Kindly your RUSH answer is muchly appreciated. Thanks & regards. Amin The futuristic Airc. Disp.

Answer: Im 20, started dispatching at 18...love the job...so theres the min age, im hoping the max age isnt too young!

Question: Would working as an emergency dispatcher be a good start to becoming a police officer? I'm applying to become a dispatcher, just got done with the interview w/ the committee.

Answer: nope..its way better to b a cop

Question: What is the process and qualifications to become an emergency police dispatcher? I would like to become a police dispatcher but I don't know where to start and I'm about to get my AA in Criminal Law. I need orientation and someone to tell me what to do next.

Answer: You don't need any special qualifications, but it helps. You will go through a complete back ground check, bank account info, every one you ever lived with, etc. Then probably a panel interview. Then psychological testing and some very nasty questions. When I applied to be a sheriffs dispatcher some years back, I went through nearly the whole process, then the psych test and one of the questions asked if I'd ever had sex with animals! I was so offended, I dropped out. And no..I never have.

Question: I am looking for an emergency dispatcher position in south Texas. Where should I start? I am currently working in the Texas Panhandle as a fire department dispatcher. I have 9-1-1 phone and CAD experience. I would like to relocate to an area near San Antonio/San Angelo.

Answer: Call 911

Question: What dose the police dispatcher mean by over the time limit? I have been listing to a Online Chicago Police scanner and I have been wondering just what the dispatcher means when they say over the time limit?

Answer: Sometimes calls "time out". When a call comes into dispatch it is put into CAD (computer aided dispatching) and given a priority based on the nature of the call. A robbery in progress would be given a high priority while a two dat old larceny would be given a low priority. The higher the priority the lower the amount of time needed to get officers on scene. The computer assigns these times when they are entered. Once this time is up the dispatcher will usually notify the on duty supervisor that they are holding a call that has timed out. The supervisor can then either ask someone to clear a call and respond to the timed out one or simply allow the call to still hold until a unit is available.

Question: what are the requirments to be a dispatcher? I am interested in becoming a dispatcher is school required what are the steps to becoming a dispatcher?

Answer: Depends where you live. Here you only have to have a HS diploma. They will pay while they train you.

Question: What do you need to be a police dispatcher? My local town is accepting apps for a police dispatcher. Anyone know what the requirements usually are? The ad doesn't say anything. Just drug screening and background check. Also, I was stopped for no insurance almost a year ago and received court supervision. Is this a big deal?

Answer: It could be a big deal. Depends on what they "accept" in their hiring of candidates. I live in NJ. The only way to get a dispatcher job here is to have relatives involved in the local politics. They will run the ads, actually interview people, and still give it to the connected people. They usually ask for you to be over 18, and have a clean background, but again, I think it can vary as far as what they will accept. Most of these jobs are also civil service, so at some point you may have to take a test, if that is the case in your area. The job will stay yours as long as you pass the test. Send in your application and make sure you indicate that you were stopped for the insurance issue. Being honest is really the best thing to do! Good luck!

Question: Does anyone know how to become a 911 dispatcher or police dispatcher? Does anyone know how you can become a 911 dispatcher?

Answer: Contact your local "Civil Service" and see if there are any testings coming up for 911 Operators/Dispatchers.

Question: What does it mean when a dispatcher is in emergency mode? I went into the dispatch station for the police department and the light was on to tell people that the dispatcher was in emergency mode. I left, but had to come back the next day to drop off my application. The lights wern't on and the dispatcher was talking to other police officers and stuff like that, so idk. I thought dispatchers were always in emergency mode. What does it mean!!

Answer: My guess is that an officer needed assistance and/or there was a major crime or accident going on where the dispatcher had to give 100% of his/her attention to the situation to coordinate with other police cars and the fire department. Someone's life may have been at risk! No time to talk to visitors in a situation like that.

Question: How can one become a 911 dispatcher? I was just considering the idea.. I've been interested in the whole criminal/medical field, but wouldn't be able to actually fire a gun or handle blood. I was interested in psychology and counseling as well, and the idea of being a dispatcher came into my head. I'm very aware how stressful that job is, and how it pays. But, how should I go into college to try to pursue this? I intend on majoring in psychology as of now.

Answer: If you want to get into psychology and counseling then 911 is probably not the right profession for you. We do not counsel people over the phone, there simply isn't time. You gather the info quickly and then you disseminate it to the field units. We help people, but we don't spend time on the phone to "discuss" their personal problems. I strongly recommend you request to do a sit-a-long at a local 911 center so you can observe the work environment and ask alot of questions to see if this is something you WANT and CAN do. There is no degree for 911. Some community colleges offer certification courses, and that's about it.

Question: How do I become a flight dispatcher? I have no experience in aviation, over 35 years of age and very interested in going to school to become a flight dispatcher or equivalent. Any advice would be helpful.

Answer: A flight dispatcher has significant control over airline flights. The flight dispatcher is responsible for all phases of a particular flight--from planning to landing. In fact, a plane cannot depart an airport without the approval of the flight dispatcher. Given the importance of this position, it takes a desire for challenges, concentration and determination to become a flight dispatcher. Take a private pilot ground training course. Make sure the course is at an approved flight school. Step2Find a flight dispatcher school. Verify that the prospective school is certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (see Resources below). Step3Enroll in the training program, which includes courses in flight operations, international flight planning, navigation and takeoff and landing. Step4Practice for the certification exams. Many programs provide practice testing as part of their curriculum. Step5Pass the flight dispatcher FAA written, oral and practical certification exams to become a flight dispatcher. Step6Realize that certified flight dispatchers need to complete continuous training every year to perform their duties effectively.

Question: what kind of test is required to become a police dispatcher? i applied for a dispatcher position in a local town. i received a ltter saying that my application was accepted and they want me to come in to take the test. what is the content of this test? what else should i know about this job?

Answer: In addition to the items mentioned above.... It is a really good idea to know the geography of the area. Like which way is North , South, East , West ? Highway numbers, airport locations and train stations. Locations of hospitals, fire stations, public schools and parks. How are the streets numbered..... In some towns there are no street numbers on some back streets. Jim B. Toronto.